…hails Tinubu’s economic policies
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North-Central zone has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a “vehicle with old drivers and faulty engines,” insisting that the party poses no threat to the ruling party ahead of future elections.
Led by Aliyu Bello, the Nasarawa State chairman of the APC, the North-Central leaders made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during a condolence visit to Nentawe Yilwatda, the party chairman, over the loss of his mother.
Bello, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said the APC’s priority is to ensure the full implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the administration has already recorded progress in stabilising the economy.
“The state of the nation is not about the election. All that we are concerned about is the APC Renewed Hope Agenda. By the grace of God, we have seen some progress and development.
“Foodstuff prices are going down daily because of diversification, not oil. The naira has been floated, and the economy is going in the right direction.”
He added, “You cannot go to the CBN and become an emergency billionaire. The naira has been floated. The economy is going on the right direction.
“So we are happy with what our leader is doing. And if you go to various states, including the PDP states. They are so happy that the allocation they are getting now is about three to four times what they were getting.”
According to Bello, federal allocations to states, including those governed by the opposition, have increased significantly, a development he attributed to Tinubu’s economic reforms.
“The bold steps taken by our leader, President Tinubu, are yielding results. Before the next election commences, everything will be fine,” he added.
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On whether they are not threatened by the opposition party in the north-central, Bello said, ” The Chairman of the PDP, which is the main opposition, is also from north-central. We defeated them.
“Why are you talking about the people who just went to a party yesterday and became an emergency exco without doing congresses. What are their antecedents? They were in position before.”
On the question of opposition strength in the region, the APC leaders dismissed both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ADC as inconsequential.
Benjamin Omale, APC chairman in Benue State, argued that elections are won on performance, claiming that past leaders in the region failed to deliver.
Omale said, “If you go to Otukpo, where former Senate President David Mark hails from, there is nothing to write home about after over 16 years. That is not a threat to us.”
He added, “Are you aware that the President went there? Are you saying this is the first time you are hearing about the massacre? It has reduced. We are not praying for that.
On insecurity, he noted that the situation had improved compared to previous years, when it was nearly impossible to travel safely between Abuja and Kaduna.
“In the last three or four years, you cannot travel from Abuja to Kaduna even by rail or road. I think we are getting to where we are going, although we are not there yet.
“The issue of the new party, ADC, is like a vehicle with an old driver, an old engine, and the spare tires are not even working. Why are we even bothering ourselves? It is the same old people. Is there anybody there that you don’t know? Is there anybody you cannot tell the story about him?”
Also, Abdulmalik Usman, the APC chairman of the Federal Capital Territory, maintained that security challenges were not peculiar to Nigeria but a global problem.
“The government is combing every nook and corner to ensure that these people are pushed out. With God on our side, it will soon become history,” Usman said.
The APC leaders insisted that Nigerians have placed their trust in the party and that the Tinubu administration would not betray that confidence.
